Athletics: Farah sprints to unprecedented 10th distance gold

Mo Farah. Photo / AP

It takes something to upstage Usain Bolt in an Olympic Stadium. Then again, there is only one long-distance runner quite like Mo Farah.

The British great came out on to the track yesterday after Bolt had absorbed the adulation of the London crowd just by showing up and coasting to victory in his 100m heat at the world championships.

For Bolt, it was easy. Farah still had one of the toughest races of his life coming up - an all-out assault by the best African runners to wear him down to sap his finishing speed. There was even a stumble on the last lap that could have felled him. It didn't.

"I am mentally strong," said the 34-year-old.

There was no doubt about that after a final kick that left him with time to cross the finish line with arms outstretched and the same look of amazement in his eyes he had when winning his first Olympic gold in the same stadium five years ago.

"It was about believing in my sprint finish and knowing that I have been in that position before."

The last time he was not in that position was at the 2011 world championships. It was the last time he lost a big one and his overpowering kick has always been his ticket to gold.

One year after that disappointing finish, Farah earned his first 5000m- 10,000m double, and it was at his home Olympics in London.

The noise that day was breathtaking and it was again yesterday as Farah won an unprecedented 10th straight global long-distance title.

"There's no place like home," Farah said. "I love London. I love the people."

It wouldn't be classified as a scare but Bolt had to overcome a horrible start in the opening race of his grand farewell earlier in yesterday's session.

The world 100m record holder is ordinary out of the blocks at the best of times but even by his standards, this was bad. By the time the field in the last heat got to the halfway mark Bolt was fifth but he was still going through his gears and by the 90m mark, he was well in control.

The 11-time world champion crossed the line in 10.07s with a shake of the head. Bolt said he wasn't happy with the type of starting blocks being used at the championships.

"That was very bad, I stumbled coming out of the blocks. I'm not very fond of these blocks," Bolt said. "I think these are the worst ones I've ever experienced. I have to get this start together because I can't keep doing this."

The 100m semifinals and final are this morning.